Former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo has said he is not a member of any political party. He described himself as “a no-party statesman”.
Also, he raised the alarm that Nigerians were facing several challenges at the moment, but preached hope and optimism.
Obasanjo said these today in Abuja during a thanksgiving service at the Methodist Church Nigeria, Cathedral of Unity, Wuse, Zone 3.
The service was for the 80th birthday of journalist and former Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Chief Onyema Ugochukwu.
The former President hailed the celebrant for being a loyal and supportive person during his 1999 election campaigns despite the fact that Chief Alex Ekwueme also contested for the same position in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Obasanjo urged Ugochukwu to remain with the Lord and be committed to humanity throughout the rest of his life
He said: “But remember what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 13. Your faith must not diminish. You must never lose hope. Even when things are as gloomy as they are in Nigeria today, we must remain optimistic and hopeful.
“And finally, you must live and continue to live a life of love. Love for your family.
“Love for friends and foes. Love for your community. Love for your state. Love for your country. Love for humanity. And love for God.
“When we came together, it was during the campaign. I’ve known a little bit about you by your reputation. We were two candidates competing in PDP – myself and Alex Ekweme.
“And right from the word go, you decided who you would be with. Some Yoruba elements in our campaign saw you as a spy. The Igbo elements on the other side saw you as a b*s*a*d.
“Why should you be with a Yoruba man when an Igbo man is contesting? And you stood your ground. You were unshaken and unshakable.
“You remained totally loyal. And I appreciate it. And you remain with me. Not 99.9% loyal, but 100% loyal. Throughout my tenure. I will be eternally grateful to you.
“When you went in, as the bishop said, to contest the election, and they overturned the election, you didn’t take revenge on anybody. You were not bitter. You didn’t even move out of the party. You remained.
“Some people would have moved out of their party. And you know some who are in our party, close to us, who did that.
